Following many Apple patent applications for bendable, and even rollable, screens for the iPhone and iPad, the company is also examining how a MacBook Pro could benefit from being able to bend. Rather than the current complex hinge mechanism connecting the screen to the body of the computer, Apple is investigating a more flexible device.
“Planar hinge assembly,” US Patent No 10,642,318, chiefly describes how such a design could apply to a MacBook Pro-style device.
“A personal computing device comprises a single piece body having a seamless overall appearance and that includes a bendable portion that is capable of having a smoothly curved shape,” it says.
“The single piece body includes a first part capable of carrying a display suitable for presenting visual content, and a second part that is capable of carrying an input device suitable for accepting an input action.”
Apple is careful to always describe “a personal computing device,” and its details can also apply to “a smart phone cover or a tablet computer device.” But it all hinges, so to speak, on what’s referred to as “a multi-state bending assembly.”
Read more at AppleInsider.com